Review of Aldermanic Statements of Financial Interest

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Less than half of City Council members receive extra income from outside work, according to mandatory Statements of Financial Interest filed with the City Board of Ethics. Most of the work was billed as legal or consulting services for companies they own or were employed with before joining City Council. Just two freshman aldermen, Patrick D. Thompson (11) and Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), reported receiving supplemental income: Ald. Thompson from his partnership at the law firm, Burke, Warren, Mackay & Serritella, P.C., and Ald. Garza for her job with Hegewisch Community Committee.

Every year, aldermen are required to file Statements of Financial Interest with the Board of Ethics by June 1st. Incumbents filed statements for FY 2014. Newly-elected aldermen, unless otherwise stated, filed statements as candidates for FY 2013, a required step to get their name on the ballot.

Ald. Walter Burnett, Jr. (27) reported owning more property, being involved with more community organizations and sitting on more boards than any of his colleagues. Ald. Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Matt O’Shea (19), followed close behind on community involvement. Ald. Burke and Ald. Tom Tunney (44) are the only sitting Council members who own businesses that work with the city.

Two aldermen reported returning or donating “improper gifts,” including cupcakes, cookies, and perfume. Five aldermen are related to registered lobbyists or people who’ve had a cut check by the city. Those lobbyists include Ald. Deb Mell’s (33) father, former Ald. Richard Mell, who works for a long list of real estate and construction firms, Ald. Pat O’Connor’s (40) sister-in-law, Meredith O’Connor, who lobbies on behalf of United Airlines and Bank of America, and Ald. Thompson’s cousin, William R. Daley, who works on behalf of Morgan Stanley.

*Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) reported income he received in 2013, when he was a Skycap for Southwest Airlines. Since that was his full time job at the time (and not a form of supplemental income), Aldertrack did not count it as additional income.